Norwalk handyman pleads guilty to stealing from Stamford woman

Ralph Esposito, 60, of Norwalk, was charged with stealing two checks worth $2,850 from a dying Stamford customer and cashing them after the woman died.

Ralph Esposito, 60, of Norwalk, was charged with stealing two checks worth $2,850 from a dying Stamford customer and cashing them after the woman died.

Photo: Stamford Police / Contributed

Norwalk handyman pleads guilty to stealing from Stamford woman

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STAMFORD — Two years in jail is not enough for a Norwalk handyman who pleaded guilty to stealing $2,800 worth of checks from an elderly woman, a relative said in court Friday.

Barbara Brackett told Judge Gary White during a hearing at the Stamford courthouse that sentencing Ralph Esposito to 25 months in jail was a “slap on the wrist” for stealing the the checks from her dead 79-year-old aunt.

Brackett said Esposito, who worked for her aunt as a handyman doing odd jobs around her Stamford home, was a repeat offender who made a habit out of stealing from his elderly customers.

A month after Esposito, 60, was arrested and jailed in September for stealing the checks from the Stamford woman, he was charged with stealing and cashing $1,900 worth of checks from a Westport customer.

In response to Brackett’s comments, White requested a pre-sentence investigation to gain a better understanding of Esposito’s background.

Although the judge accepted the guilty plea to a second-degree larceny charge, White warned there were no guarantees he would agree to the 25 months in jail when Esposito returns for sentencing on March 15.

White said if he does not accept the agreement, he would allow Esposito to take back his guilty plea and go to trial.